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Drosophila astrocytes cover specific territories of the CNS neuropil and are instructed to differentiate by Prospero, a key effector of Notch.
- Source :
-
Development (Cambridge, England) [Development] 2016 Apr 01; Vol. 143 (7), pp. 1170-81. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Feb 18. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Astrocytes are crucial in the formation, fine-tuning, function and plasticity of neural circuits in the central nervous system. However, important questions remain about the mechanisms instructing astrocyte cell fate. We have studied astrogenesis in the ventral nerve cord of Drosophila larvae, where astrocytes exhibit remarkable morphological and molecular similarities to those in mammals. We reveal the births of larval astrocytes from a multipotent glial lineage, their allocation to reproducible positions, and their deployment of ramified arbors to cover specific neuropil territories to form a stereotyped astroglial map. Finally, we unraveled a molecular pathway for astrocyte differentiation in which the Ets protein Pointed and the Notch signaling pathway are required for astrogenesis; however, only Notch is sufficient to direct non-astrocytic progenitors toward astrocytic fate. We found that Prospero is a key effector of Notch in this process. Our data identify an instructive astrogenic program that acts as a binary switch to distinguish astrocytes from other glial cells.<br /> (© 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Astrocytes metabolism
Cell Lineage physiology
Central Nervous System embryology
DNA-Binding Proteins biosynthesis
DNA-Binding Proteins metabolism
Drosophila Proteins biosynthesis
Drosophila Proteins metabolism
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 antagonists & inhibitors
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 biosynthesis
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 biosynthesis
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 genetics
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Nerve Tissue Proteins metabolism
Neurogenesis physiology
Neuroglia cytology
Proto-Oncogene Proteins metabolism
RNA Interference
RNA, Small Interfering genetics
Receptors, Notch metabolism
Transcription Factors metabolism
Astrocytes cytology
DNA-Binding Proteins genetics
Drosophila Proteins genetics
Drosophila melanogaster embryology
Nerve Tissue Proteins genetics
Neuropil cytology
Nuclear Proteins genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins genetics
Receptors, Notch genetics
Transcription Factors genetics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1477-9129
- Volume :
- 143
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Development (Cambridge, England)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 26893340
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.133165